MORE: The Waltons Richard Thomas on Early Fame, “I Don’t Know How Young Stars Today Survive!” “We ended up getting a little muffin basket with, like, three muffins in it.” “She went to the producers and said, ‘These kids have given you years of their lives and you can’t even get them something?’” remembers Judy Norton, who played eldest daughter Mary Ellen. One time, Michael was gifted with a large arrangement of flowers from the producers, but she was aghast that nothing was sent to the young stars. “It was disappointing that no one even called to say, ‘By the way, thank you.’ We were loved by the public, but we never felt the studio appreciated us.”
Eric recalls “intense pressure” to “be on your spot, say your lines” and “don’t make it difficult,” but never received encouragement from the studio.
